By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

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In Tyrie Adams, highlights have found a home in the mountains.

nWith his very next play, perhaps, Western Carolina quarterback Tyrie Adams could become the program’s career leader in total offense. Currently at 9,389 total yards, Adams trails Catamount great Troy Mitchell’s mark of 9,397 by just eight yards. Adams, upon taking over that record, will move into the top five in Southern Conference history, setting himself up for a run at an all-time top three of Devlin Hodges, Armanti Edwards and Scott Riddle.

nFurthermore, rare national company is very much within reach. Fewer than two dozen players, ever, in the FCS have compiled 12,000 offensive yards, a milestone Adams needs 2,611 more yards to hit; he had 3,423 yards last fall. A banner season could result in Adams passing the likes of current San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and finishing in the top ten in FCS history in total offensive yards.

nAdams, already, is one of the most dynamic talents in all of college football. Just one FBS quarterback matched his 2,400-yard passing and 1,000-yard rushing minimums from a year ago and that individual, Kyler Murray, won the Heisman Trophy and may very well be the number one overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Proficient and productive, Adams just completed nearly 63% of his passes and averaged over five yards per rush.xc2xa0xc2xa0xc2xa0

nIn recent years, Adams has led one of the nation’s premier offensive attacks. Western Carolina ranked second in the SoCon a season ago with 464.5 yards per game and led the league with 440.6 yards per game in 2017. In that span, the Catamounts scored at least 26 points 17 different times, including at North Carolina to finish this past year. Notably, Western Carolina ranked in the top three in the conference in both passing and rushing offense.xc2xa0xc2xa0

nIn Adams, highlights have found a home in the mountains.

nMore of the same should be on the horizon. With Adams back for one more go, the Catamounts are poised to be in the mix. Western Carolina’s redshirt senior signal caller is looking to pace the program to its second FCS playoff appearance, their only bid coming in 1983, and rediscover the momentum from a seven-win season from two years ago. With Mercer coming to Cullowhee for a high-profile season-opener, the Catamounts have an opportunity to flip the script from last fall’s losing streak right out of the gate.

nThe numbers that follow Adams, 7,279 passing yards and 53 touchdowns, 2,110 rushing yards and 13 more scores, are legendary. A grand finale is coming. One of the great players in Western Carolina history is on track for even more.